Sales of the Stinger fell by 21% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, while the month of March saw a drop of 40%, according to Motor1. This certainly isn’t helped by the coronavirus pandemic that is being faced around the world, which is putting further strain on the finances of automakers worldwide as operations are disrupted.

“At the moment I’m not sure it’s doing as good as we hoped. We never really expected to do massive volumes,” said VP and senior chief designer at Kia’s design studio in Germany, Gregory Guillaume last September. The company had ‘very high expectations’ for the American market, and at the same time it is very difficult to enter a premium segment such as the Stinger has done, he said.

Guillaume hopes that the Stinger will be given the green light to carry on into a second generation, though it remains to be seen if it will take a form similar to the current model if it does. “As you know there’s a lot going on with electrification, so it could be that Stinger becomes something else,” referring to a possible turn towards becoming an electric vehicle.

In Malaysia, the Kia Stinger range was launched in two forms, the 2.0 litre turbo petrol four-cylinder GT Line and the 3.3 litre V6 biturbo GT. The duo was initially priced at RM239,888 for the 2.0 GT Line and RM309,888 for the 3.3 litre GT, though that was subsequently increased by RM25,000 to RM264,888 for the 2.0 GT Line and up by RM74,000 to RM383,888 for the 3.3 litre GT.

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

Issue has been stigma to the brand. Building a name for a brand is never easy and takes times and many iterations before it can be “accepted”. As a car, the Stinger is very capable, not just on the specsheet, but also in the real life. Kia is cool because of the Stinger. It’s a shame to be axed, but at current situation, it’s probably the best business decision.

It’s lacking in prestige, considering how well hyundai veloster is doing, bcos of rallying. One would prefer german’s at this price point, considering racing heritage that made up their brand image. People (especially in the west) generally trust german’s engineering better in producing a good GT sports car.

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